82	LI HONG-CHANG
a profound knowledge of the Classics would hence-
forth protect China's rulers against the mechanical
inventions of the West; but it is significant that,
even when he had realised this truth, it never occurred
to him to go abroad, as young Ito went from Japan,
to study for himself at first hand the secrets of the
barbarians' strength.
Concerning his dilwt as an official, some of the
main facts have been recorded in the preceding
chapter. In the absence of authoritative evidence
from official documents (most of which were destroyed
in 1900) some uncertainty exists as to the actual time
and place of his entry into public life. We are justi-
fied, however, in rejecting the statement, commonly
accepted by English writers, that as a private citizen
he displayed his patriotic loyalty for the dynasty
by raising a force of militia to fight the Taipings,
This is a legend, which most probably grew out of
the fact that most of the moneys collected by the
Hofei Treasury (where Li held an official post in
1854-55) were handed over to Tseng Kuo-fan for
military purposes. Li's career as a secretary ob
Tseng's staff may be said to have begun not, as the
records have it, in 1853, but in 1855. Although his
subsequent promotion was rapid, it was not until
four years later, when Tseng's skilfully-organised
mobile army had begun to achieve definite results
against the rebels, that Li's fame as a military com-
mander became something more than locaL Hfe
military successes were rewarded, as was usual, by
advancements in the Civil Service : he became &
Taotai in 1856 and acting provincial judge in the!
following year. It was only in 1860, after lie-M^
'come into contact with Ward, Burgeviue, aad Gor4ii